Yarn guide mechanism for a winding location



Oct. 10, 1967 R. JENNY YARN GUIDE MECHANISM FOR A WINDING LOCATION Filed Jun'ev 14, 1965 United States Patent 3,346,205 YARN GUIDE MECHANISM FOR A WINDING LOCATION Rudolf Jenny, Thalwil, Switzerland, assignor to Maschinenfabrik Schweiter AG., Horgen, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzerland Filed June 14, 1965, Ser. No. 463,732 Claims priority, application Switzerlmd, June 22, 1964, 8,123/ 64 7 Claims. (Cl. 242-43.2)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A yarn guide mechanism used in conjunction with a winding location incorporating a windup bobbin and a grooved drum cooperating with such windup bobbin, wherein the aforementioned yarn guide mechanism is of the type comprising means provided at both ends of the grooved drum for generating from both ends thereof toward its center air currents at least at the surface region of such grooved drum disposed between the run-on location of the yarn onto said grooved drum and said windup bobbin.

The present invention has reference to an improved construction of yarn guide mechanism or a winding location or station, particularly for automatic winders.

Disturbances always appear at winding locations when the yarn tension breaks down due to yarn rupture and the yarn thus loses the guiding imparted to it by the grooved drum. This results in the yarn end moving over one of the frontal ends of the wind-up bobbin and becoming suspended thereat, or even winding onto the bobbin sleeve. In this instance then, particularly in automatic winders, the automatic finder or gripper cannot seize the yarn end, making it necessary to resort to manual removal of the disturbance or defect.

Now, to counteract this undesirable condition there have already been proposed yarn guide devices which attempt to eliminate the source of such disturbances in that they try partially in a mechanical manner to hold the yarn end in the guide grooves of the grooved drum by means of guide plates which are closely positioned at the surface of such grooved drum and, partially in pneumatic manner, attempt to utilize the resulting air current appearing about the rotating grooved drum which grasps the free yarn end and should deposit it upon the outer diameter of the windup bobbin in the operating zone of the automatic yarn finder. However, both of these solutions have only partially fulfilled the expectations placed upon them.

Now, the present invention has for one of its primary objects to provide an improved yarn guide mechanism which is capable of properly centering the broken yarn, specifically the yarn end at the windup side.

A further important object of the present invention has reference to an improved y-arn guide mechanism which positions the broken yarn end at a winding station in a location where it can 'be effectively seized by a yarn catcher or finder so that it can be subjected to a knotting opera tion.

Another considerable object of this invention is the provision of an improved yarn guide mechanism which employs air currents for locating the end of a broken yarn at the windup side of a winding location so that it can be easily grasped for knotting.

In order to implement these and still further objects of the invention the inventive yarn guide mechanism is characterized by the features that means are provided at both ends of a grooved drum for generating an air current from both such ends towards its middle region at least at the 3,346,205 Patented Oct. 10, 1967 surface of the grooved drum between the run-on or windup location of the yarn at said drum and the windup bobbin.

Due to this physical structure an intensive air current is directed from both ends of the grooved drum towards its center which grasps the freely fluttering yarn end appearing upon yarn rupture and applies such to the central region of the windup bobbin in the operating zone of the automatic yarn finder or gripper. These intensive air currents are preferably generated by the ends of the grooved drum constructed as blower or ventilator means, yet could also however be generated by external blower means.

Other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description and drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a winding station or location of a winder provided with a first embodiment of inventive yarn guide mechanism;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of yarn guide mechanism;

FIGURE 3 is a crosssectional view through the circle of blower or ventilator holes of the embodiment of yarnguide mechanism of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the embodiment of inventive yarn guide mechanism of FIGURES 1 and 3 and employing a ho0d-shaped cover plate.

Describing now the drawing and, more particularly, initially directing attention to the embodiment of yarn guide mechanism depicted in FIGURES 1, 3 and 4, it will be recognized that reference character 1 denotes a grooved drum provided with grooves 1a of conventional design. Grooved drum 1 is rotated by any suitable drive mechanism for instance in the direction of arrow A (FIGURE 3). Reference character 2 schematically depicts the cutting mechanism of the yarn cleaner and the yarn rupture location. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment each of the ends 119 of the grooved drum 1 are, for instance, constructed as a ventilator or blower impeller incorporating radial bores or apertures 3 the lengthwise axes of each of which, as best shown in FIGURE 3, form a trailing angle a with respect to the direction of rotation A and measured wit-h respect to a radius passing through the inner end So of the corresponding bore 3.

It will thus be seen that these bores 3 extend rear- Wardly at the angle a from the inside towards the outside. Additionally, such bores 3 are inclined from the inside towards the outside and from the respective ends 112 of the grooved drum 1 towards its center through the angle 1) (FIGURE 4). These inclined or oblique angled bores 3 thus form ventilator or blower means which, with appropriate rotation of the grooved drum 1 in the direction of the arrow A, generate intensive air currents B towards the center of the grooved drum 1 and at least between the surface region thereof 1c which defines the run-on location for the yarn F and the cooperating windup bobbin or spool '5. As a result, the freely fluttering yarn end 4 resulting from rupture of the yarn F is deposited in the central region upon the windup bobbin 5.

In FIGURE 2 there is depicted a modified form of yarn guide mechanism wherein for convenience in description the same reference characters have been employed for the same or analogous elements, so that generally only dififerences in physical structure between these embodiments will be considered. Hence, it will be understood that in the variant construction of FIGURE 2 the ventilator or blower impeller means at the ends 1b of the grooved drum 1 are formed by suitable vanes or blades 6. These vanes or blades 6 are arranged at an inclination in a manner analogous to the previously considered bores 3 of FIGURE 1 in order to generate intensive air currents B from the ends 1b of the grooved drum 1 towards itscenter. More specifically, it will be appreciated that the varies or blades 6 in radial direction, corresponding to the bores of FIGURE 3, form from the inside towards the outside an angle a with respect to the associated radius, which angle trails with regard to the direction of rotation A. In axial direction the vanes 6 form an angle 0 with respect to the associated surface line, specifically from the ends of the grooved drum 1 towards its center and also in trailing sense with respect to the direction of rotation A, whereby there is ensured for the formation of air currents B flowing towards the center of such grooved drum 1.

In order to intensify the action of the air currents B there is shown provided at the left end of the grooved drum 1 of FIGURE 2 as well as also at one end of the grooved drum 1 of FIGURE 1 a housing, specifically a hood-shaped guide or cover plate 7. It will be appreciated that a similar housing or guide plate can be arranged at the opposite end of each grooved drum 1. Each such guide plate 7 incorporates a central inlet opening 7a and an outlet opening 712 directed towards the outlet opening of the opposite confronting guide plate 7. It will be understood that such guide plates 7 can be connected to stationary supports or also to the grooved drum 1 itself.

Finally, it is mentioned that instead of the ventilator or blower means formed by the described physical structure of grooved drum itself, there can be arranged at both sides of such grooved drum a separate blower or the like which is rigidly connected for rotation therewith. In this case, then there can be used for instance a cross-current blower, the discharge opening of which is turned towards the grooved drum.

While there is shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a winding location incorporating a windup bobbin and a grooved drum cooperating with said windup bobbin, of a yarn guide mechanism which comprises means provided at both ends of said grooved drum for generating from both ends of said grooved drum towards its center air currents at least at the surface region of said grooved drum disposed between the run-on location of the yarn onto said grooved drum and said windup bobbin.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for generating air currents includes blower impeller means provided at each end of said grooved drum and rigidly connected for rotation therewith.

3. The combination as defined in claim 2 wherein each blower impeller means is formed of one piece with said grooved drum.

4. The combination as defined in claim 2 further including a housing member provided at each end of said grooved drum and defining a guide plate, each housing incorporating a central inlet opening and outlet opening References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,136,495 6/1964 Furst 24243.2 3,276,703 10/1966 Kamp 24218 3,279,713 10/ 1966 Furst 242-18 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,241,064 8/ 1960 France.

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A WINDING LOCATION INCORPORATING A WINDUP BOBBIN AND A GROOVED DRUM COOPERATING WITH SAID WINDUP BOBBIN, OF A YARN GUIDE MECHANISM WHICH COMPRISES MEANS PROVIDED AT BOTH ENDS OF SAID GROOVED DRUM FOR GENERATING FROM BOTH ENDS OF SAID GROOVED DRUM TOWARDS ITS CENTER AIR CURRENTS AT LEAST AT THE SURFACE REGION OF SAID GROOVED DRUM DISPOSED BETWEEN THE RUN-ON LOCATION OF THE YARN ONTO SAID GROOVED DRUM AND SAID WINDUP BOBBIN. 